KDDI of Japan has just announced their latest indoor navigation system known as Swing – where it is touted to help you find your direction quickly within a particular area due to a simple “compass”-like guiding arrow. Fully capable of working outdoors as well, Swing should be able to help you find your way around unfamiliar territory without missing a beat. Of course, before that can occur (and confuse you into thinking that this could be some kind of new GPS-enabled device), the place where you are at will need to have its own Swing-compatible module. For instance, you’re in an unfamiliar place, and you want to find your way out of a labyrinth of stores – turn on your swing and see it “talk” to a Swing compatible module in that building, letting you access a list of stores and facilities that are available near you amongst others. All you need to do is swing your handset accordingly and follow the arrow on the compass to where you intend to go.
Only a mass adoption of the Swing system will make it useful, otherwise if it remains limited and in closed environments, then Swing ends up being more of a novelty than necessity. As it is, it already treads a very thin line on the former, but we look into the future with bated breath.
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